Stéphane Bensoussan, M.A. Health Psychologist

Clinic Director, Author.

Montréal Sept 2018

www.PsySante.com Tel: 514-542-6888 E-mail: info@psysante.com

Manage Your Stress: Preventing and Coping with Heart Disease in

Women

¨ One in 4 women in the United States dies of heart disease, while 1 in 30 dies of breast cancer.  (NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

¨  Every 7 minutes in Canada someone dies from heart disease or stroke.

That's 206 people dying from cardiovascular disease and stroke every day! (HRI: Heart Research Institute)

¨ Research shows that more than 95 % of those who die from heart disease have at least one of the major risk factors such as cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight, physical inactivity, and diabetes. (NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Did you know?

Controllable Factors ¨  Cigarette smoking ¨  High blood pressure ¨  High blood cholesterol ¨  Being overweight ¨  Physical inactivity ¨  Diabetes

Emotional Influence ¨  Stress ¨  Depression ¨  Anger\hostility

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Uncontrollable Factors ¨  Age (65 and over for women) ¨  Family history ¨  Early Menopause

HRI: Heart Research Institute

Source: Metalyse

Protective Factors

¨  Supportive relationships ¨  Stress management tools:

¨  Relaxation techniques ¨  Heart coherent breathing ¨  Mindfulness meditation

¨  Lifestyle changes: ¨  Regular physical activity ¨  Enough sleep ¨  Nurture yourself ¨  Time Management

Harvard Health Publishing

¨  Research has shown that, contrary to prior beliefs, the heart plays an important role in our emotional experience.

¨  Emotions are a result of the interaction of the brain, heart and body.

¨  Several studies have identified the relationship between emotions and the heart.

¨  New insight into understanding how the activity of the heart is linked to our emotions and our health, vitality and well-being.

¨  The heart is in a constant two-way dialogue with the brain.

HeartMath Institute

HeartMath Institute

The Heart-Brain Connection

¨  The heart actually sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart! (HeartMath Institute)

¨  Significant effect on brain functioning ¨  For instance, emotional processing as well as higher cognitive

faculties such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. (HeartMath Institute)

¨  During stress and negative emotions, heart rate can be erratic and irregular which can cause neural signals traveling from the heart to the brain to inhibit higher cognitive functions.

¨  Limits our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions (HeartMath Institute)

HeartMath Institute

Heart Rhythm

¨  The normal variability in heart rate is due to the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)—the part of the nervous system that regulates most of the body’s internal functions.

¨  Sympathetic nerves act to accelerate heart rate

¨  Parasympathetic (vagus) nerves slow it down.

¨  The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS are continually interacting to maintain cardiovascular activity in its optimal range and to permit appropriate reactions to changing external and internal conditions. 

HeartMath Institute

HeartMath Institute

¨  Research has shown that as we experience feelings like: ¨  Anger ¨  Frustration ¨  Anxiety ¨  Insecurity = our heart rhythm patterns become more erratic,

which in turn can make as more vulnerable to heart disease.

Emotions and the Heart

¨  These erratic patterns are sent to the emotional centers in the brain, which it recognizes as negative or stressful feelings. These signals create the actual feelings we experience in the heart area and the body.

The Role of Stress & Anger

¨  Research has shown that the risk of heart disease is significantly increased when we experience stressful emotions such as anger, frustration or irritation.

¨  These emotions create a chain reaction in the body:

¨  stress hormone levels increase ¨  blood vessels constrict ¨  blood pressure rises ¨  the immune system is weakened ¨  chronic stress may damage artery walls

¨  Leads to a strain on the heart and other organs, and eventually lead to serious health problems.

American Heart Association and HeartMath institute

Heart Rhythm and Emotions

¨  Emotional stress: anger, frustration, and anxiety—gives rise to heart rhythm patterns that appear irregular and erratic. (HeartMath Institute)

¨  Positive emotions: love, care, appreciation and compassion—allow the heart to beat in a stable rhythm which benefits the entire body, affects how we perceive, think, feel, and perform. (HeartMath Institute)

¨  Harmonious heart rhythms, are considered to be indicators of cardiovascular efficiency and nervous system balance.

¨  This lets the brain know that the heart feels good and often creates a gentle warm feeling in the area of the heart.

The Role of Positive Emotions

¨  Learning to shift out of stressful emotional reactions to these heartfelt emotions can have profound positive effects on the cardiovascular system and on our overall health.

¨  Appreciation is one of the most concrete and easiest positive emotions for individuals to self-generate and sustain for longer periods.

¨  Almost anyone can find something to genuinely appreciate. ¨  By simply recalling a time when you felt sincere appreciation

and recreating that feeling.

¨  This can increase your heart rhythm coherence, reduce emotional stress and improve your health. 

HeartMath Institute

The Intelligent Heart

¨  In the past, the role of the heart was thought to simply pump blood throughout the body.

¨  However, historically across different cultures, the heart had a metaphorical role of being regarded as a source of wisdom, spiritual insight, thought, and emotion.

¨  In the new field of neurocardiology, scientists have discovered that the heart possesses its own intrinsic nervous system —a network of nerves so functionally sophisticated as to earn the description of a “heart brain.”

¨  Ability to independently sense, process information, make decisions, and even to demonstrate a type of learning and memory.

HeartMath Institute

The Intelligent Heart

¨  Research has demonstrated that the heart is a hormonal gland. ¨  Manufactures and secretes numerous hormones and

neurotransmitters that profoundly affect brain and body function.

¨  Oxytocin—the “love” or “bonding hormone.”

HeartMath Institute

¨  Research has shown that the heart not only responds to emotion, but that the signals generated by its rhythmic activity actually play a major part in determining the quality of our emotional experience from moment to moment.

¨  These heart signals also profoundly impact perception and cognitive function by virtue of the heart’s extensive communication network with the brain.

¨  The heart plays a key role in intuition.

HeartMath Institute

Tools

Tools to regulate heart rate variability and regulate heart health:

¨  Diaphragmatic breathing ¨  Mindfulness meditation ¨  Breathing using heart coherence

The Role of Breathing

¨  Breathing patterns modulate the heart’s rhythm ¨  Breathing slowly and rhythmically at a 10-second

rhythm allows to generate a coherent heart rhythm ¨  Breathing rhythmically is a useful intervention to shift

out of stressful emotional state and into increased coherence

HeartMath Institute

Exercise: Diaphragmatic breathing

Abdominal Relaxation

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment,

and non-judgmentally.”

-Jon Kabat-Zinn Founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness Meditation

Heart Coherence Breathing

¨  Create a coherent state in about a minute with these simple but powerful steps.

¨  Step 1 Heart Focus – focus your attention on the area around your heart, the area in the centre of your chest. If you like, place your hand over the centre of your chest to help to keep your attention in the heart area.

¨  Step 2 Heart Breathing – breathe deeply but normally and feel as if your breath is coming in and going out through your heart area. As you inhale, feel as if your breath is flowing in through your heart, and as you exhale, feel it leaving through this area. Breathe slowly and casually, a little deeper than normal. Continue breathing with ease until you find a natural inner rhythm that feels good to you.

¨  Step 3 Heart Feeling – as you maintain your heart focus and heart breathing, activate a positive feeling. Recall a time when you have felt a feeling of love or appreciation. One of the easiest ways to generate a positive heart-based feeling is to remember a special place you’ve been to or the love you feel for a close friend or family member or treasured pet. This is the most important step.

NHS: Derbyshire Community Health Services

Thank you !

Stéphane Bensoussan, M.A.,

Holistic Psychologist, Author, Clinic Director

Tel (514) 542-6888

www.psysante.com

www.stephanebensoussan.com